How Academic Syllabi Can Be The Right Window To Look Up To North- East India?

Students are the future of any country, who take the nation to the pinnacle of its socio-economic and cultural development. School and college syllabi have such prominent roles to play in establishing the fundamental understanding of a nation in students’ minds, which needs to be authentic, enriched and unfiltered. India is rich adobe of numerous classes, cultures and ideas, which also calls for disagreements too but in order to make youth unbiased they require to analyse the matter with a wide perspective and that comes from what they have been taught in their school and colleges. 

Significance Youth’s Perspective 

When any region in India became the victim of ethnic and cultural clashes, the rest of the population suffers and innocent people die. However, in such cases, India’s youth which constitutes more than half of the population can work like relievers if they are trained in the right direction. 

An instance of ruckus happened in Manipur recently where a couple of tribal communities are facing a conflict of interest and the issue is being stretched due to miscommunication and misinformation. These cases are often happened because of unfamiliarity with the region which leads to misinformed reports and coverages. In such instances, youth can be the move-makers and game changers, and put up peace and harmony in the region. 

But again what they are being taught in the education institution is the decisive factor. In this regard, Saba Ahmad, PGT – History, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Kanpur, said, “An academic syllabus plays a vital role in imparting understanding among students by facilitating knowledge, building the right context, providing a roadmap for the course, serving as a reference guide, and promoting accountability. Some of the key roles that an academic syllabus plays in promoting understanding among students are Communication, Planning, Reference and Accountability.”

Cruciality And Negligence  

The seven states of India is a bucket of rich cultural heritage and legacy; the region represents various lifestyle, food cuisine, tourist places and prestigious history. The seven northeastern states have actively participated in the freedom movement as well. However, the portion of Indian school and college syllabus does not involve these states comparatively to the other part of the country. 

In this regard, Meenakshi Chauhan Bhakuni, Principal, GD Goenka Public School - Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, said, “Northeastern states are very rich in culture and history. Their folk and classical art forms are unique. Those states have been exposed to foreign interference and insurgency right from the second world war onwards. Almost negligible effort has been made to connect them with mainstream India. It is high time that they are given the right space and importance in our polity, policy, and above all, in our textbooks.” The tribal participation in the freedom movement was immense and significant, but apart from Birsa Munda, barely any hero remembered that resulted in the negligence of those heroes’ great contributions. However, on completion of 75 years of Indian Independence, the Central Government of India started an initiative to name unsung heroes of the independence movement who have not been mentioned as much as they deserved to be. Through such campaigns, heroes like Rani Gaidinliu, Haipou Jadonang and Manipur prince Bir Tikendrajit Singh emerge as significant warriors. 

In expanding the north-eastern portion of the school syllabus, authorities are striving in that direction, Ahmed, added, “While it is true that the syllabus of Northeast India may not have a dominant portion in the overall school syllabus at present, there have been efforts by the government to include more information about the region in the curriculum. For example, in recent years, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has revised and updated its books to include more information about the Northeast.” 

Repercussions In Form Of Discrimination 

The Report of MP Bezbaruah Committee mentioned that 86 per cent of North-eastern citizens accepted that they face racial discrimination in metro cities of India while out of the total people who moved outside the northeast, around 85 per cent numbering 275, 250 left to pursue higher education while 15 per cent numbering 139,600 went out in pursuit of employment. All these incidents against the northeastern citizen have the long root of misunderstanding them as foreigners there comes the role of history that can orate their crucial role in building India what it is today. 

“Expanding the weightage of northeast history and demographic composition in school syllabi can help promote diversity, representation, cultural and historical significance, and inclusion. It is important for students to learn about the unique characteristics and contributions of all regions and communities, including the northeastern states of India,” said Ahmed.

School books do not only help the child to get educated rather also provide a window to look out to the world with a perspective if they have not read and heard about a region how they will be able to accept it and step ahead to protect it. Apart from school education, the media should also be attentive to the detailed history while reporting for a region because a less researched report can cause trauma and catastrophe to the families and whole nation.